Lamar defense making best of bad situations

Published 10:50 pm, Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Put in tough situations this season, the Lamar defense has done well to limit opposing teams to field goals when a touchdown seems more likely. Photo taken:
Randy Edwards/The Enterprise

Put in tough situations this season, the Lamar defense has done well to limit opposing teams to field goals when a touchdown seems more likely. Photo taken:
Randy Edwards/The Enterprise

Photo: Randy Edwards, Photojournalist

Lamar defense making best of bad situations

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Jordan Garrett watched a pass intended for a Northwestern State receiver bounce off its initial target and dance in the air. The Lamar defensive back's left hand was in a cast that crept up his forearm, but it didn't matter. He lunged for the ball and came down with an interception in the first quarter of Lamar's 30-23 loss Saturday in Natchitoches, La.

Once again, the Cardinals' defense was making the best of a bad situation, a recurring theme this season.

"(The interception) was a little harder, but at the same time, I can still catch," said Garrett, a senior and West Brook alumnus. "I'm still not able to play to my fullest potential, but a good enough level to where my teammates can depend on me to get the job done."

Lamar's defense has been getting the job done all season, giving up the least amount of yards-per-game of any Southland Conference team. However, the circumstances surrounding those numbers have not always been conducive to wins.

"Two weeks in a row we've wasted a great defensive effort, in my opinion," Lamar head coach Ray Woodard said following Saturday's loss. "We're not getting it done offensively."

Against the Demons, Garrett and his defensive teammates continually found their backs against the end zone. Four Cardinal turnovers helped Northwestern State inherit desirable field position close to the end zone - conversely making the Lamar defense's job more difficult.

On Saturday, the field position battle became most lopsided at a crucial time.

Lamar (2-4) began the fourth quarter trying to close a manageable 20-17 deficit. Although the Cardinals' offense had scored only one touchdown in three quarters, their defense had kept a victory within reach.

After Lamar's second drive of the quarter resulted in an interception, the Demons got the ball at the Lamar 23. But the Lamar defense forced a turnover on downs.

With five minutes left and ahead by 10, Northwestern State returned a punt 66 yards, setting their offense up at

the Lamar 13. Again, the Cardinals' defense held, making the opposition settle for a field goal.

"It's our job to keep them out of the end zone," Garrett said. "At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if they start at the 1-yard line, the 2, inside the 5, wherever."

In NSU's five offensive possessions during that final quarter, the Demons' drives started an average of 30.2 yards away from the end zone. By contrast, Lamar's four drives that quarter began 86 yards away, on average.

"As a defense, we always prepare ourselves for whatever field the offense and special teams gives us," said junior linebacker James Washington, who returned a fumble for a touchdown Saturday. "It's just a matter of coming out and executing your game plan regardless of the length of the field."

Trying to combat teams working with a shorter field is nothing new to the Lamar defense, as Southeastern Louisiana started inside its own 35-yard-line in only five of 14 drives during the Cardinals' first conference game.

In the opener at Louisiana-Lafayette, the Ragin Cajuns began four scoring drives inside the Lamar 30.

"Since day one we've been a defense that was built around bend, but don't break," Garrett said. "We understand big plays are going to happen, but we got to keep our composure."

The Cardinals' defense continues to bend, but if they rest of the squad does not play up to the same level, Lamar may never find itself breaking into the upper half of the Southland standings.